Tissue-retrieving means for a surgical snare instrument

Abstract

Tissue-retrieving means for a surgical instrument having a snare loop projecting outwardly from a distal end thereof for encircling projecting body tissue, and means for contracting the loop, thereby to sever the encircled tissue, which retrieving means includes tissue engaging means, manipulating means connected to the engaging means, means for mounting the manipulating means on the instrument for manipulating the engaging means to engage tissue encircled by the loop, and means for effecting manual adjustment of the position of the engaging means relative to the loop, rotationally about a longitudinally-extending axis, for engagement of the engaging means with a selected portion of encircled tissue extending from either side of the loop. In a preferred embodiment, the tissue-engaging means comprises means for impaling encircled tissue thereon, including a barb movable between a contracted position assumed during insertion into encircled tissue to engage the tissue, and an expanded position assumed upon removal of the tissue on the engaging means.

We claim: 
     
       1. Tissue-retrieving means for a surgical open-snare instrument having a snare loop projecting longitudinally outwardly from a distal end thereof for encircling projecting body tissue, and means for contracting the loop, thereby to sever the encircled tissue from the remainder of the body, said retrieving means comprising: tissue-engaging means,   manipulating means connected to said engaging means,   means for mounting said manipulating means on said instrument for manipulation of said engaging means to engage tissue encircled by said loop, for removal of the tissue on the engaging means following severance of the tissue, and   means for manually effecting rotational adjustment of the position of said engaging means relative to said loop about an axis extending longitudinally of the open-snare instrument for engagement of said engaging means with a selected portion of encircled tissue extending from either side of said loop.   
     
     
       2. Tissue-retrieving means as defined in claim 1 wherein said tissue-engaging means comprises means for impaling encircled tissue thereon. 
     
     
       3. Tissue-retrieving means as defined in claim 2 wherein said impaling means comprises a barb movable between a contracted position assumed during insertion into encircled tissue to engage the same, and an expanded position assumed upon said removal of the tissue on the engaging means. 
     
     
       4. Tissue-retrieving means for a surgical open-snare instrument having a longitudinally extending barrel, a snare loop projecting longitudinally outwardly from a distal end of the barrel for encircling projecting body tissue, and means carried by the barrel for contracting the loop, thereby to sever the encircled tissue from the remainder of the body, said retrieving means comprising: tissue-impaling means,   manipulating means connected to said impaling means,   means for mounting said manipulating means on said barrel for moving said impaling means longitudinally to impale tissue encircled by said loop, for removal of the tissue on the impaling means following severance of the tissue, and   means for manually effecting rotational adjustment of the position of said mounting means about the longitudinal axis of the barrel thereby to adjust the position of said impaling means relative to said loop for engagement of said impaling means with a selected portion of encircled tissue extending from either side of said loop.   
     
     
       5. Tissue-retrieving means as defined in claim 4 further including means for interengaging said manipulating means and said mounting means, to releasably maintain the impaling means in a tissue-engaging longitudinal disposition. 
     
     
       6. Tissue-retrieving means as defined in claim 4 wherein said tissue-impaling means comprises a barb, and said manipulating means extends along a longitudinal axis thereof from a distal end to a proximal end thereof, and further including means mounting said barb on said manipulating means for pivotal movement about a transverse axis between contracted and expanded positions of the barb, wherein the barb extends from the transverse axis in the direction of said proximal end at respective lesser and greater angles to said longitudinal axis of the manipulating means, and means limiting said pivotal movement to movement between said positions. 
     
     
       7. Tissue-retrieving means as defined in claim 6 wherein said manipulating means comprises a rod having distal and proximal ends, said barb is mounted adjacent to the distal end of the rod. 
     
     
       8. Tissue-retrieving means as defined in claim 7 further including means for interengaging said rod and said mounting means, to releasably maintain said impaling means in a tissue-impaling longitudinal disposition. 
     
     
       9. In combination with a surgical open-snare instrument having a snare loop projecting longitudinally outwardly from a distal end thereof for encircling projecting body tissue, and means for contracting the loop, thereby to sever the encircled tissue from the remainder of the body, tissue retrieving means comprising: tissue-engaging means,   manipulating means connected to said engaging means, instrument for manipulation of said engaging means to engage tissue encircled by said loop, for removal of the tissue on the engaging means following severance of the tissue, and   means for manually effecting rotational adjustment of the position of said engaging means relative to said loop, about a an axis extending longitudinally of the open-snare instrument for engagement of said engaging means which a selected portion of encircled tissue extending from either side of said loop.   
     
     
       10. A combination as defined in claim 9 wherein said instrument is a nasal snare instrument, said snare loop is adapted for reception in a nostril, and said engaging means is adapted for reception in a nostril together with said snare loop. 
     
     
       11. A combination as defined in claim 9 wherein said engaging means comprises a barb movable between a contracted position assumed during insertion into encircled tissue to engage the same, and an expanded position assumed upon said removal of the tissue on the engaging means. 
     
     
       12. In combination with a surgical open-nasal snare instrument having a longitudinally extending barrel, a snare loop projecting longitudinally outwardly from a distal end of the barrel and adapted for reception in a nostril for encircling projecting body tissue, and means carried by the barrel for contracting the loop, thereby to sever the encircled tissue from the remainder of the body, tissue-retrieving means comprising: a manipulating rod having a longitudinal axis extending between distal and proximal ends thereof,   tissue-engaging means connected to said rod adjacent to the distal end thereof and adapted for reception in a nostril together with said snare loop,   a carrier supporting said rod for longitudinal movement of the rod thereon, in the direction of its distal end, and   means for mounting said carrier on said barrel rotatably therearound about the longitudinal axis thereof, for manually adjusting the position of said engaging means relative to said loop,   said engaging means being manipulated by said rod movement to engage a selected portion of tissue encircled by said loop and extending from either side of the loop, for removal of the tissue on the engaging means following severance of the tissue.   
     
     
       13. A combination as defined in claim 12 further including means for interengaging said rod and said carrier to releasably maintain said engaging means in a tissueengaging longitudinal disposition. 
     
     
       14. A combination as defined in claim 12 wherein said tissue-engaging means comprises a barb connected to said rod adjacent to the distal end thereof for pivotal movement about a transverse axis between contracted and expanded positions of the barb, wherein the barb extends from said transverse axis towards the proximal end of the rod at respective lesser and greater angles to said longitudinal axis thereof, and further including stop means interposed between said barb and said rod for limiting said pivotal movement to movement between said positions. 
     
     
       15. A combination as defined in claim 12 wherein said means for expanding and contracting said snare loop includes a finger grip, and further including a finger-engageable handle on said rod adjacent to the proximal end of the rod, said handle being disposed in the vicinity of said finger grip, for manual control of the movement of both said snare loop and said rod by the same hand.